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Monday, March 17, 2014

EASTERN CAPE: Botched circumcision website stays up

Botched circumcision pics stay

by SAPA
Johannesburg - A Film and Publication Board (FPB) ruling that a
website has the right to publish graphic images of botched traditional
circumcisions was upheld by the Appeal Tribunal on Tuesday.

This was after the Community Development Foundation for SA (Codefsa)
filed an appeal application last week after the FPB ruled that Dutch
doctor Dingeman Rijken's website was a “bona fide scientific publication
with great educative value”.

The FPB gave the website, www.ulwaluko.co.za, a rating of 13N,
meaning it showed nudity and was only suitable for people older than 13.
The website contains photographs of the penises of initiates who fell
victim to botched circumcisions.

It ruled that the website must display the FPB's logo indicating that
people under age 13 were not permitted to view the website.

The website's landing page had to display this warning: “Some people
because of cultural or other sensitivities may find the pictures
appearing on this website to be offensive or disturbing”.

The full reasons behind the Appeal Tribunal's findings would be released at a later stage.

Codefsa complained that the website's images were pornographic,
compromised doctor-patient confidentiality and prejudiced and violated
the cultural rights of black people.

Rijken said in an email on Tuesday: “Contralesa has contacted me...
to request for a meeting to discuss a way forward, which I am very happy
about.”

He said he would be willing to take the photographs off the website
provided “they come up with an adequate plan to curb deaths and
mutilations”.

Rijken previously said he had received consent for each photograph
posted on the website, and that the deaths and mutilations undermined
customs and violated cultural rights. He said it was preposterous to
equate pictures of mutilated penises with pornography.